Western cyclone. [volume] (Nicodemus, Kan.) 1886-1887, 1887-02-17
HAUNTS OF TIE POLAR BEAR.
Habits OF the Great Animal In Its Icy
Northern House.


From the San Francisco Chronicle.
Sustenance of life forms the chief care of
the Mute race of Alaska the struggle to OBJ
tain food supply is the absorbing thought
throughout the entire cycle Of their existence.
Nature seems to have provided certain ami
mails peculiarly adapted to the hyperborean
region, and eminently itted to afford susie
nance to the race which has to withstand the
exigencies and severe climatic changes of an
arctic zone. The principal animals inhabiting
the waters of Northwestern Alaska are the
various members of the seal family. Seal meat
as cooked by the natives is of dirty brick re
tint, owing to the fact that when killed the seal
issimply skinned, the blood remaining in thecar-
cass, acting as a coloring matter to the meat.
To unaccustomed stomachs seal meat is I'M
palatable, its taste resembling fish more than
flesh, while the oily odor is of course prevalent.
But if when newly caught a seal is bled and
the flesh allowed to soak for a few hours the
meat, either fried or baked. becomes palatable.
When frozen there is scarcely any flavor per-
ceptible in the meat.
Ursus Americans, or the white polar bear,
is also food suppler for the Mutes. The
extent of bruins travels in the arctic region
are far and WIDE. Observations by Capt.
Healy of the United States revenue marine
prove the fact that the polar bears southern
limit of range is St. Matthew Island i'll the
Behring Sea. l believe that few of these
bears were seen some years ago near the Seal
Islands. Probably the season was a late one,
and they were seen upon large ice foe drift
ing. At st. Matthew the polar bears
have lairs and dens among the rocky glens
that diversity that island. There, it is pre-
sumed the young bears are born, or at least q
proportion of the cubs. The Point Belcher
natives told me that in December, when the
sun goes away entirely, the she bears make a
snow house out upon the sea ice, and there
give birth to their young. There is some evil
dence of the truth of this statement, as it is a
rare thing to obtain the skin of female bear
shot during the winter. The Ursus America
nus feeds upon seal and warus and dead drift
whales. Although disdaning to devour the
blubber, the flesh is greedily consumed. a car
case upon which a bear has passed his CASTRO
monte Judgment reveals the skin and its fatty
Inning torn asunder while the flesh is cut up
into strips and shreds by the powerful Claws
and teeth. One single blow of bears claws
alighting upon n seals head sutfices to kill
him, and, dragged upon the ice, Il meal is soon
dispatched.
The largest white bear | ever saw was shot
in November 1885. His measurements were
II feet inches from tip of tail to nose, feet
3 inches girth, ID inches across from ear to
ear and 7-lnch skull, while the track of his
paws measured III inches. Generally the
average measurement is feet in length In
summer the hairy coat of the polar bear
turns to dingy yellow, and its pelt then
becomes useless. These bears are arrant
towards, and will not attack any o.e unless
there are two or three in company. As soon
as they scent a man approaching they run
away as fast as they can. There are but
few records of bear killing any native along
the northwestern coast. The Mutes are very
partial to white bear meat, hut the blubber
they reject, and even the dogs, unless they
are very hungry, turn up their noses at the
oily mass. 1t is almost an inlpoSsibi,ity to
obtain an entire skin of any kind Of bear. The
Mutes throughout the territory cut off the
head and claws and either throw them into
the sea or running water or else bury them in
the ground. This is done to enable the
hunters to kill more bears, and the idea is
that if the other bears see the heads or claws
of their dead friends they will leave the dis
trict.
Brown bears frequent the mountainous
regions of the arctic coast. They follow the
herds of deer III their summer migration, but
are seldom seen in the winter, that season
being the alternating period. Their pelts are
disposed of to the traders and whaler<.